Hill Lodge

Date of assessment: 17 to 26 March 2025. Hill Lodge is a care home for autistic people and people with a learning disability. This inspection was promoted due to concerns about the service. Eighteen people were living at the service at the time of our assessment. An assessment has been undertaken of a specialist service that is used by autistic people or people with a learning disability. We have assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. The provider had not done everything reasonably practicable to keep people safe in their environment. Immediate actions were taken, and this had improved by the end of our assessment. Staff understood and managed risks to keep people safe. They put people at the heart of everything they did. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Staff managed medicines well and involved people in planning any changes. People were involved in assessments of their needs and were involved in decisions about their care. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent and if they did not have capacity, involved those who were important to the person when decisions needed to be made in their best interest. People knew how to give feedback and were confident the home took it seriously and acted on it. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. There was a culture of continuous improvement and governance systems were robust to ensure people received a safe and quality service. Staff were proud to work at Hill Lodge one staff said, “I feel like I’m making a difference to those I support.”